Google is blocking RCS on rooted Android devices
www.theverge.com
Google says it’s taking measures to prevent spam and abuse.

Wtf is the reasoning here, just checked and it’s broken for me also.

  • Nate@programming.devEnglish
    1·
    9 months ago

    Honestly how fucking dare they mess with communication like that, especially with no notice. I’ve been missing messages from my roommate and dad with no sign of anything being misconfigured. It’s one thing for things to be inadvertently broken from rooting, but doing it on purpose under the table is disgusting behavior

    • Batbro@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
      1·
      9 months ago

      Turns out I was missing messages also from my mom during a family emergency. I’ll probably be disabling RCS going forward

  • Moonrise2473@feddit.itEnglish
    1·
    9 months ago

    They say that it’s for reducing spam but then i read that in india they allow businesses to pay for sending unsolicited spam to the point that enabling RCS it’s like stating “i like spam, please send more”

  • JakenVeina@lemm.eeEnglish
    1·
    9 months ago

    Not one single mention in the article of what an “RCS message” is.

    Boy do I hate articles that just assume you know all the context you need.

  • m-p{3}@lemmy.caEnglish
    1·
    9 months ago

    Google should be forced to open up RCS to third-parties with this move.

      • mlg@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        9 months ago

        We did. RCS was made over a decade ago by mobile phone OEMs

        Except now that everything runs Android and theres so few OEMs left, Google gets to dictate a ton of stupid requirements even though it’s open source and runs off the Linux kernel.

        They already paid Samsung to remove RCS from their messages app so that google messages would be the only major app with support.

        Incidentally, it runs like complete garbage compared to even the OEM SMS apps of Android jellybean.

        So when they go around making a hissy fit about imessage, I really don’t care because I can’t even use RCS without using their shitty gapp.

        The current alternative is a data based app like signal.

  • danielfgom@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    9 months ago

    Google Messages is a mess. It NEVER falls back to SMS if you lose data connection, making it very unreliable.

    As a result I’ve had several messages fail, with no notice unless I open the app and see the “failed” message.

    As a result I disabled RCS and the app and installed QKSMS and only use SMS. It’s 100% reliable. For chats I use WhatsApp.

    Add to that they are now blocking rooted users WITHOUT TELLING THEM, and it’s really a pile of steaming sh!t.

    Suchai needs to go. Google as a whole is getting worse under his leadership.

    Even Android has stagnated under him. It should be way better than it is but he doesn’t inspire creativity and excitement in the staff. They are all playing it safe, with zero innovation.

  • guywithoutaname@lemm.eeEnglish
    1·
    9 months ago

    An “industry standard” that Google seems to have complete control over. Sound like another failed Google messaging app.

      • koper@feddit.nlEnglish
        0·
        9 months ago

        RCS is walled off by design, so that users are dependent on Google and their phone carrier. If they wanted an open standard they would have adopted something like XMPP.

        • verysoft@kbin.social
          1·
          9 months ago

          No… RCS is a protocol (from GSMA) anyone can implement, Google just spearheaded it and developed Jibe to make it easy for operators to implement, but by doing this it means Google gained a lot of control of it and added their own features to such as end-to-end encryption.

  • breadsmasher@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    9 months ago

    Reasoning

    They stated its for reducing spam and that jazz.

    However, it has the hidden benefit of yet another reason to avoid rooting, which means less access to functional adblocking

    • Moonrise2473@feddit.itEnglish
      1·
      9 months ago

      yet another reason to avoid rooting

      we can all agree that literally nobody would give up their rooted phone if they’re forced to choose between root or RCS

      • LiveLM@lemmy.zipEnglish
        1·
        9 months ago

        I don’t care how many services they break, I’m not giving up root access.

  • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.orgEnglish
    0·
    9 months ago

    I’m on LineageOS, rooted, and RCS is working for me. Is the block tied to the device safety attestation?

    My device (somehow?) passes safety check, and I’ve had no problems with my banking app, Pay, or other annoying apps that insist you don’t own your own device.

    • Batbro@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
      1·
      9 months ago

      I’m not sure which level I pass, I can use everything but etrade right now.

      Tap to pay using gpay and all my banking apps work

      • Redjard@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        1·
        9 months ago

        You can use Simple Play Integrity Checker on IzzyOnDroid (fdroid repo) or the play store. It also checks safetynet.
        If gpaywallet works that would indicate 2/3 play integrity if your android is recent I think, so it might be unrelated to the api. 3/3 isn’t enforceable yet afaik, too many legitimate devices can’t pass it.

        Apps can still bring their own root checks, but magiskhide should allow you to pass those.
        Unless the app is quite nasty and checks for the mere presence of apps that don’t do much without root or xposed, in which case there are also modules that allow you to limit what apps other apps can see being installed (really seeing installed apps should be a permission, but sadly it isn’t on most roms yet)